


move along with it

by LiveLaughLovex



Series: first to fight [5]
Category: The Code (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Developing Relationship, F/M, Past John "Abe" Abraham/Alex Hunt (The Code), Pining, Post-Season/Series 01, Pre-John "Abe" Abraham/Harper Li
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 05:17:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20718731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveLaughLovex/pseuds/LiveLaughLovex
Summary: Abe honors a promise made to Jason Hunt and ends up realizing some very important things as a result of it.





	move along with it

**Author's Note:**

> Time heals nothing unless you move along with it. - Rachel Wolchin

When Abe’s phone vibrated for the third time in fifteen minutes, Harper finally glanced away from her computer screen to give the captain a deadpan stare. “Do you owe somebody money?” she questioned wryly.

“Hm?” Abe replied distractedly, typing up the last of his report before closing out of the document and giving her his full attention.

“Your phone’s gone off six times this morning. Four in the thirty minutes we’ve been sitting here, I might add. So, if you don’t owe somebody money, then who’re you avoiding?”

“I’m not avoiding anybody,” he insisted. “It’s just Alex. I’ll get back to her eventually.” He sighed when she remained unconvinced. “There’s a thing at Dani’s school this weekend. Some sort of play – I’m not really sure of the details. Anyway, she’s asking if I want to come.”

“And that’s worth avoiding her over? Abe, it’s a kids’ play. I highly doubt your ex is going to proposition you during intermission. If there even is an intermission in elementary school plays. Do you want to go?”

“Dani wants me there,” Abe admitted. “That’s the only reason Alex got in touch with me. We’ve been avoiding each other since the breakup.”

“That tends to be what people do after breakups,” Harper replied sympathetically. “But there are a lot of variables to yours that most people don’t have to deal with. There’re kids involved. I know you broke up with Dani’s mom, but her dad – you were his best friend. You promised you’d be there for those kids. You should go. If that little girl wants you there, you should swallow the pain and the pride and just go.”

“I’m going,” he assured her. “I just… don’t really want to walk into an argument with Alex, that’s all.”

“She’s your ex,” she reminded him. “Chances are things aren’t going to be hunky-dory between the two of you. It’s not going to matter how long you avoid her.”

“Maybe you’re right,” he acquiesced after several seconds passed in silence.

“I know I’m right,” Harper returned promptly. “What’s the play?”

“I’m not entirely sure. Dani’s going to be a princess. Alex was telling me she gets to wear a tiara, which is apparently the highlight of the kid’s year, so…” He shrugged.

“Ah, to be nine years old again.” Harper smiled wistfully. “I wish happiness was still that easy.”

“Yeah,” Abe replied quietly. “Me too.”

“Hey.” Harper smiled encouragingly when he glanced up from his clasped hands to meet her gaze. “It’s not going to be as awful as you think, seeing Alex. You both love that little girl. In my experience, that’s usually enough to keep brawls from breaking out.”

“Yeah. I’m not worried about that.” Abe shook his head. “I really screwed things up, didn’t I? Being with Alex, letting that impact my decisions…”

“Abe, I’ve never judged you for that. I’m not going to start now. You didn’t screw things up. You might have made them more complicated, but, I mean, let’s be honest. When it comes to the things we care about, complications are something we just have to deal with.” She smiled reassuringly. “It’ll be fine.”

“Yeah. Maybe it will,” Abe replied hesitantly. “I just wish I was as sure of that as you are.”

“Oh, yeah? What if I’m lying through my teeth to make you feel better?”

“Then don’t tell me,” Abe requested quickly.

Harper smiled amusedly. “Gladly. I’ll even meet you for coffee after it’s all over, and if it’s completely awful, you can spend an hour or two blaming it all on me.”

“Oh, well,” Abe drawled humorously, “who could refuse an offer like that?”

-o-

Abe drew in a deep breath as he headed for the school auditorium that Saturday afternoon, releasing it slowly as he approached the door. Alex was standing just outside when he arrived, Maggie balanced on her hip as she attempted to soothe the fussy toddler. She glanced up as he drew closer, eyeing him a bit hesitantly before finally pasting on a smile so obviously fake it was almost laughable.

“Abe,” she greeted cordially, shifting the baby in her arms. “Thank you for coming.”

“I promised I’d still be there for the girls,” he reminded her. “If Dani asks me to show up somewhere, I’m going to show up.”

“I know. I just…” Alex trailed off. “It’s a little awkward, that’s all.”

“Yeah,” he agreed readily. “It is.”

“How are you?” Alex questioned after an extended silence.

“I’m good,” he replied honestly. “Busy.”

“Aren’t we all?” she asked sardonically. “We should probably hunt down seats. The second other people start getting here, all the good ones will be gone.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he agreed, relieved to have something to do other than stand around.

He found it was strange, being in the same space as Alex again. Less than a year earlier, he’d been so convinced she was the person he was meant to spend the rest of his life with, and yet those feelings were completely gone. He saw her the way he was certain he was always meant to; as his best friend’s widow, as the mother of Jason’s children.

He’d told her, back when they’d broken up, that they’d never actually tried to move on after what happened to Jason. Perhaps this was his proof that he’d finally managed to do so.

He was pretty sure acknowledging that should’ve been painful. It wasn’t, though. More than anything, it was freeing.

Dani’s role was minor, but she took to it like a fish to water, uttering her lines perfectly and grinning wider than Abe had ever seen when the entire cast came onto the stage after the curtain was drawn.

“She wants to be an actress,” Alex informed him as the children disappeared backstage once more. “Or so she’s been telling me for the past month.”

“She did a pretty great job at banishing people up there,” he pointed out. “She wouldn’t be nearly that good at it in real life. Proof enough she’s good at acting, isn’t it?”

“I guess,” Alex agreed with a shake of her head. “So,” she began hesitantly, “Dani’s going out with some of the other kids from this thing for ice cream. We could, uh, grab lunch or coffee or… something. I don’t know.”

“Alex, I, uh… I have plans,” he informed her. “I’m meeting Harper as soon as I leave here.”

“Harper,” Alex echoed quietly, her smile becoming something slightly more bitter.

“Yeah,” Abe confirmed. “Harper.” He didn’t see the point in telling his ex-girlfriend that everything she was thinking was completely wrong. After all, it wasn’t. Not on his side of things, anyway.

“Okay,” Alex accepted without further question. “Well, I figured I’d just ask. I didn’t mean to…”

“I know,” he assured her. “Don’t worry about it.”

They stood there awkwardly, both unsure of what to say next, when Dani reappeared, this time clad in regular clothes, and ran as quickly as her little legs could carry her in his direction.

“Uncle Abe!” she greeted happily, wrapping her arms around him. “Did you see me?”

“I did,” he replied. “You were great, Dan. The best princess on the entire stage. You really made this thing, kiddo.”

“Thanks, Uncle Abe! I’m trying out for the spring play, too. Will you come to that one?” she asked hopefully.

“Of course,” he promised instantly. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Okay. I’m going to go have pizza and ice cream now,” she told him.

“Well, enjoy it. You were great, kiddo.” He watched her dart off, shaking his head amusedly as she caught up with some of the other girls and instantly began chatting animatedly. “Does she ever slow down?”

“Well, she’s nine. So… no.” Alex smiled fondly. “Thank you,” she murmured a moment later. “You didn’t have to show up.”

“Yeah,” he replied quietly. “I did.”

“Abe?” she questioned after a moment, her voice cracking on that single syllable. “We had something good for a while there, didn’t we?”

“Sure,” he agreed just as quietly. “But we both deserve something so much better.”

-o-

“Hey,” Harper greeted cheerfully, sliding a mug over to him when he claimed the booth across from her. “So, you look mostly intact,” she stated conversationally, taking a sip of her own beverage as she waited for his response.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be,” he conceded, shaking his head with false exasperation when she simply smirked in response. “Dani was so excited to see me, and Alex…” He shrugged. “It didn’t come to blows.”

“That’s great for me, because I didn’t have any bail money prepared.” She thanked the waitress who stopped by to top off her drink, then refocused on the man seated across from her. “You okay?” she questioned seriously.

“I thought it’d be harder than it was,” he told her. “Seeing her, being there with her and the girls… I was so worried it was going to be awkward. And it was, in some ways, but in others…” He trailed off. “I’m not awful if I say I’m not sure I loved her, am I?”

“You’re not awful for not loving somebody,” Harper assured him. “Even if they loved you. Even if they still do. You can only control yourself, Abe; you can’t control her. And anyway,” she added, reaching for the plate of croissants between them. “It’s not like love’s the sort of thing you’d able to control even if you wanted to.”

It really was ironic, the fact that _she_ was the one saying that to _him_, wasn’t it? That wasn’t the sort of thing he could bring attention to, though, so he chose to simply continue, instead.

“You know, I told her – I told her I thought she was supposed to be my second chance. That I’d not really had much of a life, with the Corps and all, and she and the kids were my chance to do that.” Abe scoffed. “Maybe not being sure I loved her doesn’t make me a horrible person, but using my best friend’s widow to fill a hole in my life – think that might put me on the charts.”

“I was going to marry a man who flat-out told me he couldn’t see himself ever really being part of my world. Everyone has their moments of plain old insanity.” Harper smiled comfortingly. “You’re a good person, Abe. No matter who you love, or don’t love… you’re one of the best people I know.”

And it wasn’t the first time she’d said those words to him, but Abe was pretty sure it was the first time he’d actually put effort into hearing them.

“When I was with Bard,” she began, “especially there at the end, it felt like I was forcing myself into this box. I didn’t want to be who I am, because I knew he didn’t – there were parts of me that scared him. I was so convinced I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with him, I chipped pieces of myself away so that I’d fit.” She shrugged. “It wasn’t until I realized I shouldn’t have to do that, that somebody who really loved me wouldn’t ask me to do that – even subconsciously – that I finally realized what a mistake it would be to marry him. Does that make _me_ an awful person?”

“I’m not entirely sure you could do anything bad enough to turn you into an awful person,” he replied honestly.

“Oh, yeah? What if I put anchovies on pizza?”

“That would be a strike against you,” Abe admitted laughingly. “But you still wouldn’t come close,” he added more seriously.

“Neither would you,” she returned just as genuinely.

“I’ll take your word for it,” he conceded with an amused sigh.

“Good. That’s good. You should always take my word for it, because I am always right.”

“Yes, you are,” he agreed. “I am sorry I keep forgetting.”

“Well, you should be,” Harper said, trying and failing to hold back a smile.

They sat in comfortable silence for a minute or two before he spoke again.

“Harper?”

“Yeah?” she replied, setting down her mug and eyeing him curiously.

“You deserve someone who doesn’t make you chip pieces of yourself away to fit. You deserve someone who loves you for who you are, Corps and all.”

“Yeah,” she murmured. “So do you.”

He didn’t say what he wanted to say, what he’d been wanting to say since before that day in Kandahar and felt even more strongly in the aftermath. It wasn’t his moment yet. But he knew it was coming, and that was enough. After all, he had never been one to have an issue with waiting for the things that really mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> This wasn't something I originally had planned to go along with this series, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt it was something in need of hashing out. I meant to write a quick piece on Abe realizing he'd finally moved on and found his closure. Here we are, 2000+ words later. Apparently, I had more opinions than I thought I did on the matter.


End file.
